The race on Saturday, August 24, also prepares paddlers for the major events scheduled as the canoe season enters its peak in the summer months.
Despite the spring warmth of recent weeks, the day of the race brought cold, windy, cloudy and overcast weather to the lake, which created great waves, troughs and gusts of wind that resulted in some swims in the chilly water.
Fortunately, the sun managed to creep through the misty, low clouds by midday, when the juniors from the ages of eight to 18 years old raced their age appropriate distances after the main adult race.
More than 100 paddlers participated in the races despite the miserable morning conditions.
The first finishers of the race from East Rand Kayak (ERK) Club, based at Homestead Dam, were Vallon Kupferberg and Franz Lottering, in two hours and 11 minutes, as the 13th finishers, and as the first Sub Master team (under the age of 50 years).
Michael Stewart, ERK’s top paddler, trained with his young son, Liam, for the upcoming Fish River Marathon and had a snapped rudder cable, and therefore had to find an alternative boat to use to finish the race in two hours and 23 minutes.
ERK’s Liwalam Ntsiza, finished the race as the sixth single boat in a time of two hours and 29 minutes.
ERK’s Sub Grand masters (nearly 60 years of age), Chris Rowe and Ian Deary, were the only paddlers in their age group who finished in two hours and 48 minutes, against the strong resistance of waves and currents, which provided an excellent workout.
